The Atlanta Braves designated right-hander Carlos Carrasco for assignment ahead of a matchup against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, April 29, clearing a roster spot for reliever Dylan Lee while keeping right-hander Didier Fuentes on the club.
The Braves’ news comes as a welcome sight for fans who have seen Fuentes bounce up and down between the big-league club and the minor leagues. The promising rookie mostly recently came up on Tuesday, April 28, with Lee heading to the paternity list. Fuentes fired two scoreless innings in the 5-2 win, earning his first career hold.
Fuentes could’ve easily gone right back down once Lee was ready to return. Instead, it’ll be the veteran Carrasco who gets the axe now that the lefty reliever is back in the mix. Carrasco tossed a scoreless frame against the Washington Nationals in a victory on Thursday, April 23. He hadn’t appeared in a game since then.
Atlanta Braves News Update: Carlos Carrasco Designated for Assignment, Dylan Lee Reinstated
Carrasco earned a non-roster invitation to MLB Spring Training heading into the 2026 campaign. He was hammered for nine earned runs over 6.1 innings during spring action. The veteran began the year in Triple-A after the rocky exhibition outings. Carrasco was excellent with Gwinnett, delivering four starts of a 1.71 ERA. Atlanta called him up when Dylan Dodd hit the injured list.
The 39-year-old Carrasco first came to the organization shortly before the 2025 trade deadline. The Braves picked him up from the New York Yankees in a cash deal. Carrasco struggled mightily in 11 appearances with Atlanta, posting a 7.09 ERA in 45.2 innings. He found no takers in the offseason, ultimately winding up back with the Braves.
Carrasco will provide Atlanta with rotation depth in the minor leagues, unless he’s claimed by another team. Given his age and discouraging performance in recent seasons, he’ll likely skate through the waiver process without getting a bite from another organization.
Fuentes Pushing for More Opportunities
Atlanta was dealing with multiple absences in the bullpen heading into the Detroit series. Closer Raisel Iglesias is on the injured list with a shoulder injury. Dodd is down with a thoracic spine issue. Joe Jimenez and Danny Young were lost to injuries before the season got underway. Lee was out for Tuesday, though he’ll only miss a game for the birth of his child. The depleted depth chart paved the way for Fuentes to contribute as a reliever.
“He helped us win a game tonight,” manager Walt Weiss told reporters, including Mark Bowman of MLB.com. “He was a big part of us winning that game, putting those two innings down. So it was great that he was here.”
“Pitching out of the bullpen has already helped me a lot,” Fuentes said. “My preferred role is as a starter. But whatever the team needs me to do or however I can help the team to win, I’m here to do it.”
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